Fans of Shakespeare know the story by heart. Separated by a shipwreck, Viola and her twin brother embark on a journey of disguise and deception, TheatreSquared describes their current production. That leads to a “tangled web of unrequited love,” complete with the requisite music and swordplay.

But there’s something surprising about this version of “Twelfth Night.” The language is modern, courtesy of Alison Carey and Play On Shakespeare, a nonprofit company promoting and creating contemporary modern translations of Shakespeare’s plays. And the cast is all Asian, thanks to a T2 partnership with the award-winning National Asian American Theatre Company.

“It’s been an incredible honor to join forces with these organizations to bring Shakespeare into the fold once more at T2,” says TheatreSquared Executive Director Shannon Jones. “Play On Shakespeare’s dedication to preserving the integrity of the original text while simultaneously enhancing understanding for audiences around the world make this modern translation version of the script a particularly fun endeavor.”

Director Aneesha Kudtarkar, who holds an MFA in directing from the Yale School of Drama, says she loves “that this play offers a company the opportunity to embrace hijinks and hilarity while leaving room for more tender and earnest connections between characters.” And, she adds, the Asian cast is “breathing new life into this story.”

Alex Lydon of Brooklyn, playing Sir Andrew Aguecheek, says the Asian casting does reshape theater, if not “Twelfth Night,” in a significant way. Audiences get to see “Asian people of all shapes, sizes, shades, and personalities live out a regular old love story.”

“Asian Americans in contemporary media are so often living out ‘Asian’ stories that teach the audience about various aspects of our culture and heritage,” he says. “It’s refreshing to get to just tell a story about people trying to live their lives and find love and joy without feeling the need to explain our existence or importance to the audience.”

Victor Yang of Chicago, who plays Antonio, the Captain and understudies Count Orsino, says he’s not sure the casting reshapes the play, “but it’s certainly thought invoking to view it from a brand new lens of the Asian American experience.

“Our similar heritages have bonded us as an ensemble, and in this play we can relate the specific struggles/sparks of our characters to the traditions our various cultures have passed down to us,” he adds.

“I think it helps recognize [Asian American and Pacific Islander] actors as American, something that can be challenging in our industry,” says Nandita Shenoy, a New Yorker who portrays Maria. “Roles for AAPI actors often cast us as ‘perpetual foreigners,’ but this production casts us all as ourselves.”

T2 founder Bob Ford also praises the “timeless comedy’s enduring wit and vibrant energy … reimagined through innovative storytelling.”

“I think the Play On! translations of Shakespeare’s plays are really wonderful companions to the original language,” agrees Lydon. “I’ve seen many productions of ‘Twelfth Night,’ and have even done the play once before, yet this new script has expanded my understanding of the story and the characters’ relationships to a degree I didn’t know was possible. But also, I really hope people have a whole lot of fun!”

“I hope everyone who sees it walks away with a sense of joy in life,” adds Victor Chi of Alhambra, Calif., who plays Sir Toby Belch. “The characters in ‘Twelfth Night’ are flawed but lovable, so give yourselves the same grace you give the characters you’re watching on stage.”

“It’s a quintessential Shakespearean comedy,” concludes Kudtarkar. “I have no doubt audiences will leave with a renewed faith that love and life prevail no matter what.”

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FAQ

‘Twelfth Night’

WHEN — 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, through March 30

WHERE — TheatreSquared, 477 W. Spring St., Fayetteville

COST — $20-$58

INFO — (479) 777-7477 or theatre2.org/twelfth-night

FYI — T2 will host Shakespeare Trivia at its Sunday Night Social, starting at 5 p.m. today, March 9, at the theater.